Inspiring Movement…Teaching Asana to Our Kids

AE and Nana (my mom) in Down Dog

AE loves to pretend to talk on the phone. Lately, she ends nearly every imaginary call by urgently uttering “Call you back, bye!” I thought it was so strange. Where is she getting that? Then, I was on the phone with my mom and AE started to scale the back of the couch. As I ran toward her, I said into the phone, “Mom, I have to go. I’ll call you back. Bye!”

It’s so easy to forget how much our kids learn just by watching us. And they are always watching – for better or worse!

Down Dog with AE (8 months old) and two furry kids crowding my mat!

If you want your kids to practice yoga, you have to practice yoga in their presence. It isn’t always easy. AE crawls on me and on my mat all the time. I have stepped back into down dog and landed on a Lego more than once (OUCH!). But, she also often heads over to her own mat and strikes a pose with me.

For kids under ten, I would suggest you simply practice 10 – 15 minutes of active asana. A few rounds of sun salutations are a great place to start. Share the major points of alignment with them, but don’t worry about perfection. While you are doing a pose, make the sound of the animal the pose is named after (e.g., bark like a dog in down dog, hiss like a snake in cobra, etc.). Giggle! Have fun!

As you build up the repertoire of poses your child practices, take pictures of him or her doing the asana. You can assemble those pictures into a routine or even make yoga flash cards. Leave those printed routine pages or flashcards with their yoga mat in the space where you keep toys.

One of the most important things we can do to motivate our kids to practice yoga is to help them reflect on the impact of practice on them. Try not to say things like “That’s a great down dog.” Instead ask, “Wow, you are in down dog – how does that feel? Is it fun? How do your legs feel?” After they’ve practiced a  few poses ask, “What did you like about your yoga practice today? What was challenging? Do you feel more relaxed?”

If we give them the tools and help them recognize the benefits of yoga, are kids are likely to be inspired to practice on their own.

Do you practice yoga with your kids in the room? Does your child have a favorite pose? I’d love to hear how they answer the reflection questions above!

P.S. This post is part of a series on how I share the practice of yoga with kids. You can find other posts in this series here.